Longtime Indian activist Russell Means dies at 72

October 23, 2012 | Modified: October 23, 2012 at 4:15 am
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FILE - In a Jan. 31, 1989 file photo, Russell Means, who heads the American Indian Movement, (AIM) testifies before a special investigative committee of the Senate Select Committee on Capitol Hill, in Washington. Means, a former American Indian Movement activist who helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee, reveled in stirring up attention and appeared in several Hollywood films, died early Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 at his ranch Zzxin Porcupine, S.D., Oglala Sioux Tribe spokeswoman Donna Solomon said. He was 72. (AP Photo/Marcy Nighswander, File)

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — Russell Means was a modern American Indian warrior. He railed against broken treaties, fought for the return of stolen land and even took up arms against the federal government.

So when the 72-year-old died Monday from cancer, he left behind a strong, decades-long legacy.

A onetime leader of the American Indian Movement, Means called national attention to the plight of impoverished tribes and often lamented the waning of their culture. Even after leaving AIM in the 1980s, he was still a cultural presence, appearing in several movies.

He helped lead the 1973 uprising at Wounded Knee, the bloody confrontation that raised America's awareness about the struggles of American Indians.

He was among their first national advocates, seeking to restore their cultural pride and challenge a government paying them little attention.